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To the friends and members of Sparta Presbyterian Church

We had a wonderful day last Sunday, with good attendance at worship and happy faces at the picnic held later. The weather was perfect, the food was plentiful and delicious and the stories and sharing made the day complete. I want to thank all of you for being a part of our picnic Sunday. A special word of thanks is extended to Tony and Sandy L., to Bill and Shirley B., to Art and Carolyn E., to Rich M. and to all the women who prepared food and served us. Thank you!

This week we begin Independence Day celebrations. There are many activities scheduled for Saturday, the 4th, including lawn mower races in the evening. I failed to announce the pastors’ event, which will take place about 7:00 p.m. The event is called “Holy Smoke,” and it will generate interest in the work of our churches. I will be one of the participants, hoping to stay healthy for Sunday morning.

On Sunday there will be a focus on being the Church. We are the Church when we care for each other, pray for each other, and love each other. Ken and Susan T. are asking for prayers for their daughter, Jill, who lives in Elkin. Jill will be submitting to surgery on July 15 and 16th for heart related issues. We pray for presence of the Holy Spirit for all of the family and for healing and health for Jill. We also pray for Bill B. as he begins new therapy.

On Sunday we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper, which is always a reminder of God’s grace given to us through Jesus Christ. We are given forgiveness and we are encouraged in every way to grow in grace and in our faith with charity toward all.

Salem Presbytery meeting July 18th at Starmount Presbyterian Church in Greensboro visit www.salempresbytery.org to download the packet after July 10th.

What happens on a sabbatical?
www.postsfromronshive.blogspot.com
Follow Reverend Ron Shive’s Sabbatical Blog during the summer of 2009, the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Burlington, NC. The focus of the sabbatical is “Creed, Culture, and Cuisine: Critical Components of the Three Abrahamic Faiths.” Ron’s travels will take him to Italy, Israel, and Jordan.

Salem Presbytery Church Prayer List

Week of the 5th - First Presbyterian Church in Eden, Second Presbyterian Church of Lexington, Logan Church in Scotts
Week of the 12th - Riverview Church in Eden, Shady Side Church in Lexington, Red House Church in Semora
Week of the 19th - Elkin Church in Elkin, Love Valley Church in Love Valley, Siler City Church in Siler City
Week of the 26th - Cameron Church in Elmwood, Madison Church in Madison, Sparta Church in Sparta

Stewardship Workshops with Tom Norwood in August
25th at First Presbyterian Church – Burlington
26th at First Presbyterian Church – Statesville
27th at Highland Presbyterian Church – Winston-Salem
The workshops will be from 7:00-8:30 p.m. each night.
Registration is not required, birng a snack and drink, please make all efforts to attend. For more resourses on stewardship and directions visit www.salempresbytery.org, “Resources,” “Stewardship.”

Mark your calendar: September 26th Salem Presbyterian Woman Fall Gathering, at the First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, all Presbyterian women welcome. More information to follow.

What is happening next door?
What are other churches doing in the community?
Could we join in a mission together?
Find similarities, identify differences, face all types of situations, and share ideas with others.
Come and join with those churches near you.
It is time for your West Neighborhood Gathering, July 16th at 12 o’clock at North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church (804 “E” Street, 28659)

Forming a book discussion group
Help us find a representative from all the churches to consider sending a special saint who has a passion for the educational ministry of their congregation to contact me, Libby Gygax about joining. The planning team wants to order the books and get them to the participants by the end of the month. We would get together on the third Thursday of the month of July, August, September and October. There is no cost for the books and some may want to go to the Educator Retreat November 12-13, 2009 for further discussion on the book. Retreat will be paid for the first 24 people. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Please contact Libby at libbygygax@embarqmail.com, or 336-667-1288.

Help Salem Presbytery be EQUIP
There is current interest in churches in our presbytery wanting to focus on older adult ministries. Are you currently involved in older adult ministries? Do you have some ideas you would like to share? Become part of this network and contact
Jim Rissmiller at 336-501-0261 or jrissmiller@salempresbytery.org

Dear “Westerners”
I am writing to alert you about an upcoming workshop which will be scheduled in August or September depending on the availability of our workshop leader Dr. Vaughn Grisham of the University of Mississippi. No stranger to North Carolina, Vaughn has his Ph.D from UNC Chapel Hill, and has a home in Bakersville, near Spruce Pine. His specialty is leadership in communities, and he will present a two hour workshop for our neighborhood focusing on what characteristics we look for in our leaders, and then turning our attention to what is the specific, unique role that we as Christians in Churches, can play in our communities, particularly when there has been an economic shock to the community with a factory closing, or layoffs. The first workshop will be in the Eastern neighborhood on July 21 at Starmount in Greensboro. Our Western workshop will be as central as we can make it. It’s a workshop for clergy, educators, CLPs, elders and church staff as well.
Please keep an eye out for the announcement. You will thoroughly enjoy Vaughn Grisham – he is a member of the church I formerly served in Oxford, Mississippi, and a wonderfully gifted teacher. Look to the Future with Hope!
Gracefully, Sam Marshall

To the friends and members of Sparta Presbyterian Church

Each week there are concerns that we bring to the congregation for the good of the church. It is through this communication that we invite your prayers for the people of God in this place we call Sparta Presbyterian Church. We may be a small corner of the larger Church, but what we do each week for the sake of others is so very important.

Worship is critical in our efforts to be a faithful people. As we gather together it is not only about the individual in the pew. It is about the whole family, the body of Christ. That is why we call it corporate worship, fulfilling God’s weekly plan for our lives. Otherwise, we might be thought of as merely a chapel.

This Sunday, the Gospel is about two healings—the woman who touched Jesus’ garments and the daughter of Jairus. This Gospel story is also about us as the Lord speaks, “Do not fear, only believe.” This whole series in Mark’s Gospel has to do with issues so important to our lives and times. Fear—faith—trust—comfort—confidence and hope.

After some discussion about possible rain this Sunday, we have made the decision to hold our picnic rain or shine. We have plenty of room, inside or out and ample parking. If it is raining, we will direct your parking around the house. If the sun is out, please follow our driveway behind the house to the gravel road on down to the river. The address is 1544 Memorial Park Drive. Bring a side dish, or a dessert to share. The meat and drinks will be furnished. Bring a lawn chair. Nature will provide the rest!

We do truly look forward to this Sunday—our coming together and our being members of one family in the name of Christ our Lord who loves us and gave himself for us. See you then.

Pastor Bob

Plan to visit Sparta Presbyterian Church. As G. K. Chesterton wrote, optical channel“Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” The existence of Sparta Presbyterian Church is not a theory to be debated. Its existence is the remarkable proof of a love affair between our ancestors and God. They believed in God. They trusted in God. They served in God’s name. They were faithful to God through depression, war, social unrest and natural disasters. To the best of their abilities they attempted “to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love their neighbor as themselves.” Our history is not theory, but the marvelous story of a great love affair.

Please plan to make attending church a priority as we gather to worship and to give thanks to God for His amazing grace to us. We are still here today because it has been God’s will and we will continue to be a vibrant, friendly, mission-oriented congregation because of God’s mercy.

We will worship God in awe of what the good Lord is continuing to do in our church today and welcome with worshipful expectations how the Holy Spirit will lead us into the future as we continue forward in our faith, our love of God and each other and in service to our community.

God is doing “new things” and transformation of our lives is essential to our becoming new.